Very quickly you'll discover my literary tastes are eclectic. Mystery, sci-fi, romance, chic-lit, non-fiction, memoirs... it's only the story that counts. Take a peek around, sight-see, enjoy, check out what's behind the book flirt.

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What’s in Titling A Book?

A lot. That’s what’s in creating a title.
After coming up with a premise for a story, and then taking that story through a
malicious paper ratchet, to finally land at that sweet long awaited lengthy
sigh, the dealmaker then follows. And that dealmaker is none other than the
title.

Well, wait. Not quite. First I must insert
the naming of characters. I take naming my characters very serious. The name has
to fit; has to have a certain ring, as I get instantaneous visuals
of personalities by the ring in a name.

Take for instance, the name Calvin. I would
cast a character with this name in a strong leadership role of sorts. I
wouldn’t make a Calvin a mushy creature is what I’m saying, though I’m not
about to go on and on explaining in lurid detail this assignment process. It’s
not all that cut and dry. Just know that much thought is weighed in on naming
my characters. This is my number one motivator for driving a story. A
mismatched character (with name) can torpedo my spirit and sink my mood if I’m not
feeling him or her, or it.

…And something to a similar sort goes for titling a book. I want the title to sing to me, especially since it’s going to
be the first thing staring me, and everyone else, in the face while it’s
singing, or not singing. Just imagine that. A choir carrying a note, and
dressed like the tune it’s carrying too. Yep, I want my books, from the title
to character names, singing in both ears. As such, I’m prepared to share a
little backdrop on how I arrived at the title for a few of my books. (Nope: Can’t
do ‘em all, since I don’t want to give all of my secrets away.)

Leiatra's Rhapsody. First,
before the title, I had to get the name of my heroine right. Her name had to be
unique, and it had to be powerful. It took a while, ensuring her name had that perfect ring. One I hadn’t heard before. And sure enough, soon as my lips formed the sound
“Lee-ate-tra,” I knew this name was it. I searched the Net, which in
2004, even continuing up to as late as last year, no one had this name. And please
tell me if this name doesn’t exude the energy I was going for? Never mind. You
don’t have to. I already know it’s one of a kind.

Titling Leiatra’s Rhapsody, therefore, came
easier… since the novel is her song.

This One I Got Right, also a part
of the Rhapsody Series—part III, I came up with after catching wind of a few low grunts. "Tone
it down," came with said wind, which I know it was a little ornery, so please try
to hold it down after I write this, but I conceded through a sage smile (to no one in particular) that I
would ‘tone it down,’ and then turned the dial up, and oh… came up with a title
that couldn’t be nothing but a sure winner. This One I Got Right.

Rye & the Rump. (Part IV of the Rhapsody Series) ...is
mentioned somewhere here on my blog before, how this title came to be. My
father! That’s who titled Rye & the Rump. I held a book party where his
entry to name the next novel in my
romance series won the most votes. I asked him how he came up with the
title, to which he said it was the feeling he got after hearing me describe the
storyline. Basically, he was thinking of a loaf of bread; as in a manifold
couple who belong together. Sweet, and very perceptive, huh?

Atlóta. Short and sweet; the title means
All The Letters of the Alphabet. It’s a poetry book, with the central epic
piece, Atlóta, being inspired by an encounter I had with an English teacher in the
11th grade.

Black Table. This title
resulted unanimously, named by my family, for a now ‘renowned’ table where we
held some of the most eminently reputed family discussions ever. Black denotes
the color of the table—black lacquer; our family is multicultural. The stories, however,
are primarily ‘selected’ memoirs of our more favored tales from the 70’s, set
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Kidding... though you did get me once, and I'm just tickled about it. I don't ever expect to see anyone holding up that book cover and reading. Oh Lord... let me get offline so I can breathe! Crying out Loud!!!

Leiatra, a gorgeous melodic name - and title. I recently gently scolded an author who asked me to review his book for titling his novel "The Church Retreat." Title like that spooks people who *don't* like churches, and ticks off those who do, once they read the book and find out it has NOTHING to do with a church.

Thanks Bev. Laughing here too... "The Church Retreat" ...really? You do have a point though. After reading a few church books I often push away from these titles too. Many just don't seem to 'hit it' just right.

I am currently really struggling with developing the title for my next work, I won't go into the details, but you can see them here:http://www.authonomy.com/forums/threads/103202/what-makes-a-good-book-title-/

Especially how the title I have been going with is very detailed, but kinda pigeon holes it into a pulp fiction genre, whereas I see it as a more literary project.I am looking for the same punch but which hints more at the literary aspects of the tale!

Hello Kit, and thanks for commenting. Actually, anything goes with any of these genres, since all written work falls in the definition of lit. Just keep at it, be creative, get tickled (in other words don't think too hard on it), and it'll stand out.

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